Marion Benigni
Marion Benigni (マリオン ベニーニ) is a character from the Kaleido Star anime and one of Sora's first friends at Kaleido Stage. She is the youngest of the main cast, even younger than Rosetta, and the daughter of Jean, one of the set designers who works at the company. Most of the time, she is seen with her partner Johnathan, the baby seal, riding on her head. Marion sings a song with Johnathan titled "M&J", based off their friendship, which is found on the Kaleido Star Vocal Album. Season One In Marion's debut episode, she is against Sora just like everyone else. But mostly, she is upset when she sees Sora on the trampolines while training for her role as a Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. She does not want anyone using the trampolines since they remind her so much of her deceased mother and because of her strong belief that no one would be able to perform like her mother. Before Sora joined Kaleido Stage, Marion's mother was a trampoline performer and was quite famous. But one night, when she had to go to perform, Marion was ill and she begged her mother to stay. On stage, she was involved in a fatal accident that ended her career, as well as her life, leaving Marion completely heartbroken. But after seeing how related Sora and her mother are, Marion quickly changes her attitude and becomes Sora's friend and supporter. For the rest of the first season, she is always seen with the baby seal Johnathan, that Sora finds in a later episode, on her head. The two are never separated. New Wings Nothing changes about Marion personality wise. Her hairstyle has changed to two pigtails on the sides of her head. She is also a performer on the newly built Children's Stage after Sora and friends suggested it to Kalos since the Dracula performances were scaring the little children. She is a trampoline performer and performed alongside Sora on the opening day. While she was afraid of doing it at first, her father showed her an old journal that her mother kept with all of her performance notes in it. She always had thought of ways of improving performances to make the show better and had even thought of one for her and Marion when she grew older. Marion cried knowing that her mother always wanted her to perform with her. In fact, while on stage with Sora, she sees a quick glimpse of her mother where Sora is. After that, Marion remains the same supporting character to Sora. Kaleido Star OVA 3: Good da yo! Good! In Kaleido Star's third anime OVA, she is in the last segment starring alongside Johnathan and Sora called "Marion and Johnathan Playing, ing, ing!" in which the two tell seal facts and try and teach Sora how to speak seal. When Sora is failing miserably at first, she soon has a juggling performance with Sora on the trampoline to get her to improve. However, at the end, all Sora can say is Johnathan's bark and Marion is laughing with Johnathan and the whole crowd. Relationships Cynthia Benigni Marion had always looked up to her mother and wanted to be a trampoline performer like her mother. Cynthia had left Marion her backstage notes in her journal for her daughter to use after she had passed away in a fatal trampoline accident on Kaleido Stage. Jean Benigni Marion and her father have a close relationship as father-and-daughter; She thought that her father would be sad if she followed in her mother's footsteps of being a trampoline performer. After she had talked to her father she decided to take up trampoline performing. Sora Naegino Marion at first didn't like Sora and her friends, she had said that they were "unfit to use the same trampoline as my mother". After seeing Sora practice on the trampoline the next morning Marion had come to a decision of being Sora's friend and supporting her from then on. Sora had encouraged Marion to take up being a trampoline performer like her mother. Johnathan Johnathan is the baby seal that Marion and her father 'Jean' had taken in. Her and Johnathan are always seen together, they are rarely seen without one another. Marion's Gallery Marion's full body.gif|Marion's full body|link=http://kaleidostar.wikia.com/wiki/File:Marion%27s_full_body.gif Marion Benigni and Johnathan The Seal Scan DVD Box Art Kaleido Star Stage 6.jpg|Marion Benigni and Johnathan The Seal in Kaleido Star Stage 6 DVD Box Art dressedupmarion.png kidsstagemarion.png Category:Characters Category:Main Cast Category:Females